


Five Times Gareth Earned His Spot as the Royal Guard (and One Time Richard Earned Being His King)

by Liviania



Category: Galavant (TV)
Genre: 10-Year-Old Gareth, 5 Times, Just-Become-Prospective-Heir Richard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-04 22:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4156047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liviania/pseuds/Liviania
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before they were separated by cruel fate (and Richard's lack of spine), the two boys had to grow together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Gareth Earned His Spot as the Royal Guard (and One Time Richard Earned Being His King)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sumi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/gifts).



1

Prince Richard had yet to shed all of his puppy fat.  Many doubted it would ever happen, given his love of Chef's creations.  He especially liked well-roasted turkey legs, to munch on while observing his parents ignoring the petitions of the poor.  Some days he ate four turkey legs in one session of court, all while starving peasants looked mournfully at him.

Gareth admired that the prince never gave into a set of sad eyes.  The prince knew those turkey legs were his by right, and he took them and ate them.  So when the prince started choking on a bone, his guard leapt to the rescue.  He smacked him heartily on the back, and when that didn't dislodge the treacherous bone, he smacked him again.  The bone landed in the rather extravagant hairstyle of a dowager countess.  When she reached to remove it, Gareth glared at her and she nervously lowered her hand.  "By the time I'm twelve, my prince," he said, "I'll only need one blow."

The prince looked up at him adoringly.  "Would you like to watch me eat my text turkey leg?"

Gareth looked at him steadily.  "That's my job."

(The chef, of course, was killed for roasting a turkey leg that nearly killed the crown prince.  They didn't have a second backup king, after all.)

* * *

 

2

 

She had a good personality.  She also had good looks, and it was hard to say which was more sizable: her dowry or her bosom.  She was also head over heels for little Dickie.  Everyday she wanted him to sit with her at recess.

Gareth was suspicious.  He might only be eleven, but his father had taught him about the birds and the bees.  He was pretty sure the prince had never killed a bear, nor performed any notable feats of strength at all.  He also knew that the prince thought girls had cooties, as evidenced by the fact he had everything the girl touched wiped down before he'd touch it himself.

Gareth knew that girls didn't have cooties.  But he was pretty sure this girl had something worse.

An ulterior motive.

Gareth never bothered to find out what that motive was.  He just took care of it.  It was about time to start performing feats of strength to be impressive.

* * *

 

3

 

The prince was learning to ride a horse.  He'd been seated on the gentlest nag Gareth had ever seen.  Gareth wasn't even sure you could call that horse riding, really.  More horse being lead around by the nose.

Gareth thought it was going surprisingly well.  The prince hadn't fallen off once.  At twelve, Gareth knew he was the physical side of the operation.  Sometimes, he thought that he just might be the brains of the operation too.  He wanted the prince to toughen up, but at the same time, it did give him a nice sense of job security.  The prince would always need him.  But of course, royalty always needed guards no matter what.  So yes, it would be better if the prince learned to throw a punch and kick a willy.  Riding a horse was a good start.

Suddenly, their steady progressed stopped.

"I want to ride that one," the prince said, pointing to a handsome dappled horse that was currently grazing in the next field over.

The stable master tried in vain to dissuade his future king.  It was a lovely horse yes, and seemed quiet right now, but that horse was the very devil with a rider on its back.  Prince Richard, however, wanted his way.  Gareth would admire the show of force more if the prince actually had the riding skill to back it up.

As it was, he already had one of the stable boys running to get the physician.  You couldn't prevent all injuries, but you could prevent being caught unawares.

* * *

 

4

 

The man had offered him candy.  Gareth couldn't believe it worked.  That was the oldest trick in the book!  Surely Prince Richard had read that far before getting bored!

He was tempted to leave him to his fate for falling for such an obvious trick.  He'd already wasted precious moments were he could be rescuing the prince because he was too busy boggling over the stupidity.

And that's exactly what he told him after he rescued him.  "Really, Richard?  Candy in the back of his cart?  You fell for that, like a baby?"  The sarcasm made his accent extra thick.  Perhaps that was why the prince just stared at him.

"I didn't tell you you could call me Richard."

"I'm taking liberties, you royal oaf."

"You can't call me that!"

"Yes, I can.  Especially when I've just rescued you from your own stupidity!  Strangers with candy.  If you want candy, I'll get you candy."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"You want candy, don't you?"

* * *

 

5

 

Gareth was taller than almost every other boy in the kingdom.  He was meaner than all of them put together, except for maybe Richard.  But Richard was more cruel than mean, unthinkingly short sighted.  It drove Gareth nuts, except for the times that it made life fun.  The best thing about Richard being terrible was that absolute tonnes of people tried to kill him.  Which meant they had to try to get through Gareth.

None of them ever did.  (Although to his consternation, some got close.  He was only fourteen, after all.)

Everyday Gareth practiced his sword work, working through the other men in the guard and visiting heroes.  The heroes were particularly fun to trounce, as Gareth got to interrupt whatever silly song they were singing to an audience that wasn't watching.

Being the royal guard required that kind of work, especially when you were guarding a prince like Richard.  He made things even worse by being utter tits at defending himself with anything other than an order and Gareth.

But Gareth would have done it any way.  He loved the fight, the thrill of victory.  Gareth was made to be on top and he enjoyed proving it.

There was, however, something special about doing it for Richard.  Richard delighted in his meanness and strength, the way Gareth unquestionably defended him from those who would mock him and assassinate him alike.

So Gareth grew taller naturally, and got bigger and meaner and faster and harder through grueling work.  He was worth it.

* * *

 

+1

 

That never actually happened.

Richard got the crown, Gareth got appointed royal guard, and that was that.

It didn't change anything.  Gareth was going to protect Richard, and that was that too.


End file.
